This invention relates to a man-machine system, and particularly to a man-machine system suitable for application to operation panels of plants.
There is a technology for entering voice information into a man-machine system serving as a man-machine interface for a computer system for control of a plant, etc. and providing information in a form suitable for the characteristics of the operator. This technology is known by literature, such as M. Fujii et al., "Application of a Cognitive Model to Man-Machine Interfaces for Nuclear Power Plants", and T. Ogino et al., "Intelligent ManMachine Communication System for Nuclear Power Plants", Seminar on Operating Procedures for Abnormal Conditions in Nuclear Power Plants, Munich, 23-27 June 1986, pp. 1-9. The cognitive model of the operator in a plant is described in J. Rasmussen, "The Role of Cognitive Models of Operators in the Design, Operation and Licensing of Nuclear Power Plants", Proceedings of Workshop on Cognitive Modeling of Nuclear Plant Control Room Operators, Aug. 15-18, 1982, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, pp. 13 and 20. Japanese Patent Application Nos. 61-233810 and 61-133199 disclose man-machine systems incorporating display control by voice and a question-and-answer function. With the prior-art systems, however, if the operator is mistaken about the plant condition or is unable to focus his attention and is thinking about many things, there is a possibility that information suitable for the system cannot be obtained.
In addition, the operator sometimes makes a wrong representation without knowing it or forgets a name of a device, for example, and makes an abstract representation. In such a case, the above-mentioned problem is liable to occur.